Amitabha Hanging Scroll Painting of Anyangam Hermitage

A gwaebul is a Buddhist painting in the form of a huge hanging scroll, displayed outdoors and used in ceremonies during outdoor religious services. The Amitabha Hanging Scroll Painting of Anyangam Hermitage was created in 1919 by Gosandang Chugyeon, the leading painter-monk of his day, who also painted the Painting of Guardian Deities in Daeungjeon Hall. On this huge canvas measuring 6.90 metres in height and 3.24 metres in width, a large image of Amitabha Buddha is placed at the centre, his right hand lowered and his left hand held near his chest. On either side stand Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva in white robes and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, who holds a lotus branch and wears a compassionate expression, while Ananda and Kasyapa are depicted smaller, in symmetrical positions to either side. Below, the painting shows the child Samantabhadra riding an elephant and the child Manjusri riding a lion. The central Amitabha Buddha has broad shoulders and a dignified physique. A distinctive feature of this work is that, among the Amitabha triad, the Amitabha Buddha is emphasised at a relatively larger scale, an iconographic convention that was popular only in the Seoul and Gyeonggi region. Together with the hanging scroll painting of Bomunsa Temple, this work helps to reveal the regional characteristics of such paintings. As in other works by the monk Chugyeon, this painting also shows clear use of shading, evident in the faces of Kasyapa and Ananda and in the lines of the robes of the Buddha and bodhisattvas. To either side of Amitabha Buddha's feet, a plaque-shaped panel bears the production inscription. This inscription reveals that the painting was made in 1919 by Gosandang Chugyeon and enshrined at Anyangam Hermitage. The work shows a new attempt in its iconography and actively adopts shading techniques, making it one of the paintings that best reveal Gosandang Chugyeon's style.

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Where it is

Region

Jongno-gu, Seoul

Designation

Provincial Tangible Heritage · 시도유형문화유산